1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a refilling preventing system for a toilet tank, and more specifically to a refilling preventing system for a toilet tank to prevent refilling of the tank in case of a leak.
2. Description of the Previous Art
Toilet tanks normally include a filling valve connected to a water intake and securely coupled at the bottom of the tank, said filling valve is operable by the action of a buoyant float coupled therewith, to open the filling valve when it is at a bottom opening position and to close the filling valve when it is at an upper closing position; a flush tube coupled to an overflow opening at the bottom of :he tank, to discharge the water to the toilet bowl in case that the tank is filled beyond the desired level; a conduit connected to the filling valve and to the flush tube, to fill the toilet bowl at a desired level creating a water seal at the bowl through said overflow tube; and a flush valve including a flush stopper pivotally mounted on a lower end of the overflow tube at a point pin and coupled to a discharge opening at the bottom of the tank, which is manually operable by a flush lever mechanism connected to said stopper by a cord or the like; said flush tube and said discharge opening being connected to a flush conduit at the bowl, to discharge the water of the tank to the bowl.
The areas wherein said filling valve, overflow tube and flush valve, are placed within the toilet tank, normally represent points of possible leak mainly because of wearing of parts such as the seat of the stopper, the stopper and imperfections caused to the seat of the flushing aperture of the toilet tank, consequently spoiling a great amount of water which usually remains undetected.
Saving water, is one of the greatest challenges in the water closet manufacturing industry.
A relevant effort to avoid spoiling of water in case of leaks through the components of a toilet tank, is disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 4,843,657 of Orr, for an anti-flood toilet tank valve wherein a catch mechanism is adapted to engage the float of an specific filling valve, to prevent it from causing the; tank to refill, unless the flush lever has been operated.
However, said anti-flood valve is limited and only useful when using filling valves of the type including a post or tube around which the buoyant float is mounted to slide up closing the valve and down to refill the tank, because the catch mechanism is designed specifically to prevent the buoyant float to fall down when the flush lever had not been operated, so that in case of a leak, the tank will be emptied but the filling valve is prevented to fill the tank again because the buoyant float remains in an upper position by said latch mechanism.
Furthermore, said anti-flood valve is ineffective when the tank is not filled in cases wherein The leak flow is greater than the filling flow, caused for example when the stopper is coupled out of line regarding the seat of the discharge opening of the tank.
Therefor, it was a main objective to provide a reliable refilling preventing system for a toilet tank, to prevent refilling of the tank in case of a leak, which is effective for any type of filling valves operable by a remote buoyant float, and in cases wherein the filling flow is less or greater than the leaking flow.
The refiilillg preventing system for a toilet tank, to prevent refilling of the tank in case of a leak, in accordance with the present invention, comprising, in combination: a receptacle in the tank in which the buoyant float of the fill valve is placed; a water filling conduit to fill the receptacle after a flush discharge; plug means closing the overflow tube, to cause a vacuum at the flush conduit of the toilet bowl connected to the discharge opening of the toilet tank, after a flush discharge and when the stopper is at a closing position; and a siphon conduit, operable by a lever mechanism, which is connected to the discharge opening and to said receptacle, that allows to flush the receptacle, after a flush discharge, by a siphon effect created by the vacuum at the throat, providing the water seal at the bowl.
This refilling preventing system will prevent refilling of the tank in case of a leak, either at a flow less or greater than the filling flow, emptying the tank, because the receptacle will remain filled and the buoyant float will be at its closing position impeding the fill valve to refill of the tank.